Tuesday

28

September

St. Wenceslaus (907 – 935)

SS Laurence Ruiz and his Companions, Martyrs

Green / Red

Wenceslaus was born into the Bohemian royal family. As King, he worked hard to promote order in his kingdom and the free exercise of Christianity. He was murdered by those who opposed this. He is the patron saint of the Czech Republic.

        Lawrence Ruiz was born in Manila of a Chinese father and Filipino mother. He was married and had three children. He joined a Dominican missionary expedition to Japan in order to escape arrest for a crime of which he was accused. He is the first Filipino martyr.

Entrance Antiphon: Dn 3: 31, 29, 30, 43, 42

All that you have done to us, O Lord, you have done with true judgement, for we have sinned against you and not obeyed your commandments. But give glory to your name and deal with us according to the bounty of your mercy.

Collect

O God, who manifest your almighty power above all by pardoning and showing mercy, bestow, we pray, your grace abundantly upon us and make those hastening to attain your promises heirs to the treasures of heaven. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

First reading : Zechariah 8:20-23

The Lord of Hosts says this: ‘There will be other peoples yet, and citizens of great cities. And the inhabitants of one city will go to the next and say, “Come, let us go and entreat the favour of the Lord, and seek the Lord of Hosts; I am going myself.” And many peoples and great nations will come to seek the Lord of Hosts in Jerusalem and to entreat the favour of the Lord.’ The Lord of Hosts says this: ‘In those days, ten men of nations of every language will take a Jew by the sleeve and say, “We want to go with you, since we have learnt that God is with you.”’

Psalm 86(87)

R/     God is with us.

1.     On the holy mountain is his city cherished by the Lord. The Lord prefers the gates of Zion to all Jacob’s dwellings. Of you are told glorious things, O city of God!

2.     ‘Babylon and Egypt I will count among those who know me; Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, these will be her children and Zion shall be called “Mother” for all shall be her children.’

3.     It is he, the Lord Most High, who gives each his place. In his register of peoples he writes: ‘These are her children,’ and while they dance they will sing: ‘In you all find their home.’

Gospel Acclamation: Ps11 8:36,29

Alleluia, alleluia! Bend my heart to your will, O Lord, and teach me your law. Alleluia!

Gospel: Luke 9:51-56

As the time drew near for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely took the road for Jerusalem and sent messengers ahead of him. These set out, and they went into a Samaritan village to make preparations for him, but the people would not receive him because he was making for Jerusalem. Seeing this, the disciples James and John said, ‘Lord, do you want us to call down fire from heaven to burn them up?’ But he turned and rebuked them, and they went off to another village.

Prayer over the Offerings

Grant us, O merciful God, that this our offering may find acceptance with you and that through it the wellspring of all blessing may be laid open before us. Through Christ our Lord.

Communion Antiphon:  Ps 118: 49-50

Remember your word to your servant, O Lord, by which you have given me hope. This is my comfort when I am brought low.

Prayer after Communion

May this heavenly mystery, O Lord, restore us in mind and body, that we may be coheirs in glory with Christ, to whose suffering we are united whenever we proclaim his Death. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.

Meditation Hostility between Samaritans and Jews was strong at the time of Jesus. But the approach of Jesus differs greatly from that of his disciples. Sometimes such feelings of revenge well up in our hearts when we think we are unjustly hurt or when we cannot resolve differences with certain people. We are invited to take on a different attitude and approach. We can always present these feelings to Jesus, and pray to be more like him. He will take us through another road, the path of Christian tolerance and forgiveness